Yelle

Yelle emerged from France as one of the period’s most inventive and captivating outfits, thanks to their buoyant dance-pop textures and striking visual aesthetic. Anchored by Julie Budet’s buoyant vocals and a production style that twisted conventional dance and pop elements into a singular form, the project issued the late-2000s landmark Pop-Up before sustaining momentum with buoyant singles and consistently engaging full-lengths. Following a 2014 collaboration with Dr. Luke that yielded the more commercial Complètement Fou, the group resurfaced in 2020 with L'Ère du Verseau, an effort that tempered exuberance in favor of greater introspection while preserving its kinetic, dancefloor appeal.

Longtime friends Julie Budet, who performs as Yelle, and Jean-François Perrier, known as GrandMarnier, launched the project in 2005. Their opening track, “Short Dick Cuizi,” a pointed critique of French rapper Cuizinier, appeared on MySpace that year and generated early buzz. After revising the lyrics and retitling it “Je Veux Te Voir,” the duo released the song as their official debut single in 2006, where it reached the French Top Five. Once Tanguy Destable, performing as Tepr, joined the lineup, the trio recorded its first album. Source Records issued the lively Pop-Up in 2007, after which the band toured extensively and contributed to projects by Robyn, Nouvelle Vague, and Crookers. In 2008 they supplied a remix of Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold.” Following two years of near-constant activity, Safari Disco Club arrived in spring 2011 via V2 and Downtown Records. The Katy Perry association led to several support dates on her Teenage Dream tour, while the trio independently performed more than 100 concerts worldwide. That outing marked Tepr’s final run with the group; he departed prior to the next recording sessions. The same Perry connection, combined with the catchy material on Safari Disco Club, secured a deal with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe imprint. Working in his Los Angeles facility alongside Dr. Luke, Canadian producer Cirkut, TTC’s Tacteel, and songwriter Alexander Castillo Vasquez, the duo delivered the more direct pop approach of 2014’s Complètement Fou. Despite the expanded team, the record maintained and heightened the project’s playful, boundary-pushing sensibility. Another extended tour followed, then a series of standalone singles appeared: “Ici & Maintenant” in late 2016, “Interpassion” and “Romeo” in 2017, and “OMG!!” in 2018. After further live dates, work began on a fourth album with a reduced circle of collaborators that once again included Tepr. Personal circumstances and evolving musical priorities guided the pair toward a leaner aesthetic that ventured into more somber, adult terrain without sacrificing dancefloor viability. GrandMarnier produced L'Ère du Verseau, which Recreation Center released in September 2020.